Mixing two hobbies today doing some packet radio with my TRS-80 Model 4 and my Tandy 1000 RL. The Model 4 is an 8-bit computer with just 64 kilobytes of RAM. The 1000 has a 16-bit 8086 CPU with a whopping 768 kilobytes of RAM. The average computer today has at least 8 gigabytes of RAM, or roughly 8 million kilobytes. How far we’ve come.
TRS-80 Model 4 manufactured in 1984
Tandy 1000 RL manufactured in 1988
Registration for the current Online Basic Amateur Radio Course has closed. We anticipate that the next course will start in late April, with registration opening in early April. Please monitor this page for an announcement when registration opens.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individuals from all across Canada can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification.
The course will again be conducted with the assistance of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club (AVARC) of Nova Scotia.
This course prepares students for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Basic Qualification Level Operator Certificate exam to operate on allocated Amateur Radio frequencies.
It is open to everyone across Canada and even abroad. Classes will be recorded, so occasional absences are not a problem.
Date: The course will be held on Thursdays and Sundays commencing on Thursday, January 26 and ending in early April 2023.
Time: Classes will be held on Thursday evenings from 6 pm to 9 pm (1800 – 2100) Eastern Time and Sunday afternoons 1 pm to 4 pm (1300 – 1600) Eastern Time.
Cost: The registration fee for the course is $50 plus GST/HST. The cost of the Basic Study Guide is extra and an order link will be provided upon completion of payment.
The course instructor is Al Penney, VO1NO, and he has taught the Basic Qualification Amateur Radio Course since 1994.
Al was first licensed in 1977 and has been active in many areas of Amateur Radio including contesting, DXing, VHF/UHF weak signal, satellites, emergency communications and DXpeditioning.
Al has served as the President of six different Amateur Radio clubs in both Canada and the United States and currently chairs the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 Band Planning Committee. In addition, he is also currently serving as the RAC Director for the Atlantic Region and is the recipient of the Amateur of the Year Award for 2020.
It is essential that all students have the necessary equipment and bandwidth capable of taking the course – at least a tablet or PC and a DSL broadband connection.